


Under Batman's Cape

by WhattheCatDraggedIn



Category: Batman - All Media Types, Batman and Robin (Comics), Red Hood and the Outlaws (Comics)
Genre: Bruce Wayne is a Good Parent, Comfort, Family Bonding, Happy Ending, It's JASON, Jason is a potty mouth, Mentioned Character Death, Mild Language, Weighted Blanket, brief panic attack, it's one f bomb, sad bat
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-26
Updated: 2020-04-26
Packaged: 2021-03-01 17:42:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,857
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23860987
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WhattheCatDraggedIn/pseuds/WhattheCatDraggedIn
Summary: Batman's cape is really heavy, and it's useful that way. It can block bullets, is water and fire resistant, helps blend in with shadows, calms down stressed Robins...
Relationships: Bruce Wayne & Damian Wayne, Clark Kent & Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson & Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson & Damian Wayne, Jason Todd & Bruce Wayne, Tim Drake & Bruce Wayne, Tim Drake & Clark Kent
Comments: 26
Kudos: 337





	Under Batman's Cape

There were hundreds of occasions where Batman's heavy cape came in handy. And Bruce had designed it to be exactly the weight it was for several reasons. It was bulletproof, for one. It hung just so meaning it pooled, and swung in a nice arc. It didn't flip over his head and it blended into the shadows with his own brand of essentially Vantablack coating. It was waterproof, fireproof, and it made him feel safe.   
On missions like their current off world mission, a little bit of assurance, safety and home was more than welcome. So he pulled his cape around him like a blanket, and sagged into the chair, closing his eyes. He was on his second day with no real sleep, and he was ready.   
"You should line that with fleece. Or whatever rich people, ultra soft alternative that looks batman-y. Velvet?"   
Bruce glared up at Clark, not in the mood for his ribbing and pulled his cape tighter.   
"It wouldn't matter if it was soft, I can't feel it through my armor." He growled, no real venom in his voice.   
Clark chuckled.   
"Take a nap, Caped Crusader. You've earned it."   
Bruce grunted and curled up in his chair to do just that, knowing Clark wouldn’t let anyone in.   
***

Dick was waaay too tired to be patrolling tonight. At this point he was overtired, and feeling it. Instead of facing the kids wrath, Bruce rolled him up in his cape so they could continue their stakeout. It was life or death, Dick understood that and the fit he would throw if Bruce made him go home was just not worth it. The weighted cape helped calm him down, and Robin snuggled closer into Bruce's side. He was probably cold too, although he never complained. Bruce was glad for his cape, it kept a cold, tired, hungry, grumpy Robin temporarily satisfied.  
***

Dick was panicking. It was highly unusual for him, but all in all he was still a kid, and he still had moments where it was just a little too much. They were home, in the Batcave, post stressful mission, in which they had been held captive. Bruce was injured and Dick had had to sit back and watch as Batman was tortured. He had kept his cool, right until they hit home. Bruce unclipped his cape and curled it tightly around Dick, pulling his cowl down, and gently removing Dick's domino. Tears spilled freely down Dick's face, and he sobbed.   
"Look at me, Dick."   
"I-I-I can't...it's not… you were….you're not…."   
"Dick, look at me. That's an order."   
Dick's eyes snapped to Bruce's face.  
"I'm ok, Dickie. I'm fine. You did very well, I am so proud of you. You got me out. I'm ok, you're ok. We're home. We're safe. Alfred is gonna bring tea and we'll be ok."   
Dick nodded, and gripped onto the cape. Bruce pulled him close, and rocked him gently, on the floor of the cave, and Dick's hiccups gradually subsided.  
***

"I'm just saying, I think it would remind you of your cape. A bought me one, and it helps me sleep a lot. Makes it really feel like I have a blanket, you know?"   
Brice grunted at Jason, who landed a hard kick on one of Penguin's goons.   
"Are you discussing weighted blankets while beating us up? I have one. It was expensive, but worth it." A goon offered, shooting at them.  
"Thanks, man!" Jason said as he grabbed the gun and thwacked the guy over the head with it. "See, B? They're great!"   
"Yes, Robin. I will definitely take a criminal's word for it." Bruce rolled his eyes, knocking the last  
man unconscious, and rounding on Penguin, who was cowering. "Aww, come on, B! Take mine and A's word on it! I'll even text Wing and ask him how he likes his."   
"You two talk? No. We are not having this conversation in the field."   
They finished up with Penguin and his men, and called in the Commissioner before settling in the shadows to make sure it was taken care of properly. Jason reached over and pulled Batman's cape over his shoulders.   
"Your cape is just like a weighted blanket. You're fuckin' loaded, I don't see why you don't give it a shot. Not like you'll lose anything."   
But as he talked Jason really did seem to relax into the cape, and Bruce's side, which made Bruce happy, and he wrapped Jason up nice and tight. He could always leave it for Jason in case he had a nightmare and wanted to sleep in Bruce's bed, or as a couch blanket. Or if he liked it, get a couple more. Bruce sighed and resolved to have Alfred order him one once they got home.   
***

Jason had taken a heavy hit of fear toxin. The first thing Bruce had done after injecting him with the antidote was rolling the squirming boy in his cape, burrito style. It helped with thrashing, as well as being a comforting presence to wake up to. Jason slowly began to come out of it, but Bruce had also tranq’d him in an attempt to keep him safe. Jason had calmed and stilled for about five minutes, in which Bruce had removed his cape, before being thrown into what could be a completely unrelated nightmare. Batman flipped his cape back around Jason and tucked him tightly into the back of the Batmobile. It seemed to help a lot. Jason's muttering and thrashing went to small motions, and whimpers. Bruce decided to check his antidote for effectiveness when Jason whispered.  
"No. Dad, please, no…. Not her, please…I'll let you…. Not mom…"   
And Bruce's heart broke a little.   
***

It was an attempt. Bruce wrapped Jason in his cape one last time when he picked up his son's broken body. He wanted Jason to be comfortable. He wanted Jason to be alive. Bruce kissed his son's head, then fell to his knees and screamed into the night, holding Jason's limp body. He never had a chance to wrap him tight in his cape, say he was sorry for the fight. He’d never get to.   
***

Everything in Bruce's life felt dark, and he almost sobbed as he started down at the city, wrapped in his cape. Tears spilled down his cheeks, pooling in his cowl, spilling down the ducts that let tears out behind his neck, in case his eyes watered for any reason. It was a design choice that had been added out of necessity. Now he cried softly into his cowl. It was stupid. Jason had been….dead…. For weeks now. He felt like he hadn't cried this much for his own parents. But he wrapped himself tight, just the way Jason liked it. Sat atop Jason's favorite gargoyle, eating Jason's favorite patrol snacks, and Bruce lost it. He let himself cry.   
***

Tim was never as close as the other two Robins. He kept a respectful distance, and only cringed a little when Bruce accidentally called him Jason. But it was a damn cold and rainy night, his uniform was one with short sleeves and the weather was a surprise, so they hadn't added his in-suit warmer yet. Bruce pulled him into his side, wrapped his heavy cape around Tim, and Tim gradually relaxed into his mentor's side, bright eyes staring up at him.   
"It's bloody cold out here." Batman gruffed, and Tim smiled. He leaned into Bruce,'s side more firmly then.   
"Tired?" Bruce asked.   
"Yeah." Tim reluctantly admitted.   
"It's a slow night. It's almost two. Let's call it here."   
Tim nodded, but didn't seem to want to leave Bruce's cape. Brice didn't make him. Instead he scooped up Robin, like he had with Dick, like he had with Jason, and carried him to the Batmobile.   
***

Tim reached over and pulled the cape around his shoulders, shivering despite the heavy coat.   
"It's bloody freezing out here."   
Bruce nodded, and moved closer to Tim, allowing more cape to be shared. Clark, who they were on a mission with, cocked an eyebrow and gave Bruce a little smile.   
"Sounds like you're picking something up from Alf, there Timmy." He teased.   
"Names in the field, Superman?" Tim teased back, knowing full well they were way outside of anyone's hearing range.   
Out from next to Bruce came a snowball which clocked Clark in the ear. It startled a chuckle out of the Dark knight when the man of steel retaliated by scooping up his protege at the speed of sound and flying him up towards the sun, Tim laughing the whole time.  
***

Damian was far too proud for Batman's comforting cape trick. That was until he discovered how nice it was the one time Dick managed to get it over him. Now it seemed anytime Dick wore the cowl, a solid amount of time was spent with Damian underneath it when he couldn't be seen in such an undignified manner. Then suddenly there was one mission. It was cold. Dick had gotten hurt as Nightwing, Batman had saved him, and Damian had been scared, not that he'd admit it. But he cautiously snuck into Bruce's side.   
"Here." Bruce muttered gently, and pulled the cape around his son.   
Damian stiffened, but soon relaxed.   
"How do you do that?"   
"I learned it from Jason. It was his favorite."   
Damian nodded, solemnly.   
"Dick doesn't do it this way."   
Batman grunted.  
"I like it, Father."   
And Bruce couldn't help but smile at his child.   
From that point on, Damian spent a reasonable amount of caped downtime underneath his Father's dark cape too.   
***

Bruce found Jason sitting on a rooftop ledge. It had been a couple months since Jason had been back, apologized, started trying to reconcile in his own way. He's apologized to Tim first. Actually kidnapped him to talk. And Tim came back, and asked Bruce to give Jason a chance. Tim was nearly killed by Jason and he asked Bruce to give the guy a chance. And Bruce, despite himself, loved Jason with all his heart. Still. It could never change. The pit madness did it’s damage, but Jason was still his Jason. Bruce realized Jason was crying when he had landed. He plopped down next to Jason, who didn't react. And without further warning, wrapped his now full grown son's shoulders tightly in his cape. They hadn't talked, hadn't all the way made up, but Jason reached around Bruce, pulled him close, and cried into his armor.   
"Miss you." He whispered, and it was like kintsugi for his heart. Repairing the Jason-shaped cracks with molten gold. Still visible. Still there, and still weak, but better. Much, much better.   
***

It had been a damn long day. Too damn long. Bruce pulled his cape tight around him, the familiar weight, thickness. It's protective barrier shielded him from the world, and it was like a hug from his sons, kind words from Alfred, his mother's recipe Kugel. His favorite things in this world. The weight from the cape sank onto his muscles and in his chair, he didn't believe it was possible to be this comfortable. He sighed in relief.   
~End~

**Author's Note:**

> I didn't include the girls because 1) I wanted to focus on Batman and the Robins, and I just don't think Steph and Bruce had this kind of relationship, and 2) Cass 100000% has her own cape and 100000% still goes over and grabs Bruce's anytime she feels like it of her own volition.   
> Hope you enjoyed!
> 
> Note* Kintsugi is Japanese method of repairing broken objects with gold turning a broken object into something beautiful  
> Kugel is a Jewish dish, sort of like a casserole. It can be sweet or savory, and a lot of people and families have their own special way of making it.


End file.
